Speeches in Black and White
by GayShipsWorshipper
Summary: Oneshot that became multi-chaptered. Rated T. The one event many Malec shippers anticipate most heavily (well, at least me). Please R&R! Would be greatly appreciated since I'm kinda new at this.
1. Such are the stuff of dreams

"Aku cinta kamu" whispered Magnus into Alec's ear, and then the Shadowhunter was left with nothing but air in his arms and tears in his eyes. He thought he and Magnus had the real deal, the kind of overwhelming love that could forgive anything. Now, it would seem apparently not. He cursed himself for being so foolish, for falling for the trap. He should have known better, weren't the warnings so obvious all along? And yet he had to mess things up spectacularly. But now he was trapped alright, with the worst possible punishment Alec could face.

He was in the trap of love.

Love, so impossibly gripping that every waking moment of his spent, Magus was never far from his mind, ever since that one fateful Brooklyn party.

He'd always thought Magnus would forgive his mistakes, and time and again, the warlock did. They'd rowed and had their ups and downs as any other couple, disagreements that were cold and warranting the slamming of doors. But never an error of Alec had been unable to overcome.

Until now.

Alec gingerly squatted down onto the cold stone floor. A train rumbled nearby in the

tracks above him, loud enough to muffle his pained groans.

His body was weary, his head was pounding.

Oh, life was so cruel indeed. To give him Magnus and take him away because of it.

Alec stared at his hands.

He'd made a mistake alright, but he honestly didn't mean to. He had told Magnus over and over he was sorry. But Magnus still wouldn't forgive.

Alec cursed his life.

For it cost him his one love.

For life made him repulsive to Magnus.

For life aged him.

Alec's wrinkled hands stared back at him.

Alec shot straight up, sweating profusely. The sheets were still tangled around his torso, seemingly constricting him. He was breathing heavily. "Alec?" Magnus reached across and grasped his hands. "Was it another nightmare?" the warlock asked softly. Alec nodded swiftly, and gripped the warm, brown hands of his lover so tight till the bones popped alarmingly. Magnus didn't say anything but pulled Alec into a warm embrace. "You-you, you left me again, " Alec said, almost accusingly. Magnus looked at him sorrowfully, "Alec, you know that till this day, that was one of my worse mistakes." Alec sighed, "I know, Magnus. Me too. But this time, it was so _real_. It was because I-I was _old_. " Magnus silently stroked Alec's back, comforting him as Alec babbled on. "You left me, you said it was because I was not the Alec you fell in love with anymore. You had fallen in love with the younger me, the one with energy and life, with innocent curiosity and vulnerability, and the eagerness and enthusiasm coupled with the adoring shyness, you said. Now that I was _old,_ I was more tired, and ill-tempered, and not as..." Alec trailed off, his eyes widening at the unseen horror in Magnus's face. He choked and said, "Not as _exciting_. I was boring you. I was dull."

"Alec, you know that that will never happen. It is an impossibility. It is wholly ridiculous. I love you not because you are exciting, (not that you aren't,) but because of you, Alexander Gideon Lightwood. I love you because of the way you would automatically give up your life for Jace. I love you because of the way you would leave out coffee for me in the morning. I love you because of the way you burnt my kitchen trying to make my favorite dish. For the way you stay for every single one of my parties, even if it is inside a locked bedroom. For the way you are my first for watching the sunrise with. For the way you let Chairman Meow scratch your sweaters uncomplainingly. For the way you learnt how to speak Indonesian for me. For the way you once let Isabelle pleat and dye your hair purple. For the way you asked Simon about Clary's art interests, just so you could pick out a good Christmas present for her. For the way you silently let Jace laugh at you with orange glitter in your hair (Don't listen to him darling, you looked gorgeous.) . Those things are you, Alec. Not your looks. Not the way our relationship entertains me. I would love you, Alec, even if you reincarnated as a bloody Moloch demon. Though that would be disgusting. But still."

Alec stared at Magnus, who started to get increasingly worried as Alec was still so quiet after quite a while. "I'm going to the bathroom," the Shadowhunter said abruptly. He slid off the bed and shut the bathroom door behind him firmly.

Magnus sat up in the bed, stumped. Was it something he said? "Alec," he called out weakly. Even though the squeaking noises continued, with the flushing and running of water, Magnus knew Alec was listening. "Alec, did I say something wrong?" A short silence. Then, "No. You said it all perfectly. " The knot in Magnus' chest loosened slightly. "Magnus, is it true? The stuff in my dream, that you loved me because of my innocence and energy and all that... And don't lie," Alec said, his voice slightly dampened by the door. Magnus swallowed. This was a most difficult question to answer.

"Alec, " he started hesitantly. "It _is_ true, that I love you for all that, but even if you grow old, even if you are sixty or seventy, it doesn't matter because you will always, always have those qualities. You will never be not exuberant, nor not full of life, I am sure you will go down fighting the last Behemoth demon, even if it means resorting to dentures as a weapon. You will always be slightly bashful, not because you lack confidence, but because you have an abundance of humility. And you are still so vulnerable and tender, and innocent, though you have plenty of strength in you Alec, it's just that you need someone to draw it out. And I'm hoping that you would let me be that someone. "

A tentative silence hung in the air. Not a hair stirred. Then a soft click, and warm, mellow light spilled out onto the bedsheets.

Magnus made his decision, got up and strode resolutely across to the bathroom. Alec sat at the edge of the bathtub, with a look in his eyes unfathomable to anyone else but Magnus, who knew him best. Magnus walked forward, and enveloped Alec in a bone-crushing hug, immersing himself in the comforting scent of Alec. Of the scent of faded sweaters, of bravery mingled with self-doubt, of the scent of a blue-eyed boy that held a warlock's heart in his palms. He opened his eyes, and gasped in surprise. Written on the bathroom wall were the very words he wanted to say to Alec. But he said them anyway.

"Will you marry me?"


	2. Taking it in

_Will you marry me?_

"Toothpaste, huh?" said the warlock, gesturing to Alec's proposal on the bathroom wall. Alec started, taken aback by the interruption of the mood, then chuckled. "Yeah...well, this was kinda..uh...impromptu, I guess, not that I didn't want to ask you earlier, just, didn't expect it to be tonight, " Alec smiled, abashed. "Well, it goes to show we are a match for each other, honey, we almost have telepathic thoughts," Magnus said, winsomely. He reached up a hand to brush Alec's cheek with a knuckle, and his voice softened to something much more tender. "So...Alec? Your answer?"

"Do you have to ask?" A gentle whisper.

"Say it, then Alec, I want to hear you say it, for me,"

"Magnus, I-" Alec stopped, just because he couldn't believe he was able to say these very words to Magnus. "I love you, and I always will, and I am, -" he gulped, feeling a rush of happy, hot, tears to his eyes, continued, "I am so, so honored to say _yes._ Of course _._ And yes and yes and mpfh-" The warm brown lips of his warlock sealed his and there was not much more to be said for a long time.

After they had managed to get out of the bathroom, (the sink was probably out of order, and shower curtain in shreds, whilst the toothpaste was nearly finished) Magnus brought Alec to the bedside. Taking out the small, classic, blue velvet box that matched the color of Alec's eyes exactly, he turned to face Alec."Here, " he said, " to seal the deal." Cupped in one his palms was a ring. Alec licked his lips, heart pounding. This would finally be for real.

It was a simple piece, silver metal (it was platinum actually,) woven into a small band, topped with a single diamond. Pink gold laced the insides. It was perfect. It was so like Alec. Not flashy or loud. But rather, precious on the outside and sweet on the inside.

Magnus took his hand and slid the ring on, relishing the moment that the band marked the Shadowhunter as his, and his only. "Mine, " he vowed, and brought Alec's hand to his lips as he kissed each one of the knuckles.

Alec looked up and the warlock and the Shadowhunter stared at each other, locked in their embrace. The cat eyes that greeted Alec in the mornings sparkled as a wide smile split the warlock's face. Alec chewed his lower lip and allowed himself a small grin. It didn't do the extent of his happiness justice. Inwardly, Alec felt like he was flying on wings to heaven, and could do so a hundred times over and still circle the earth, he was exhilarated and overwhelmed and full of joy that he could just burst with it. He felt like he could face a whole horde of Greater Demons and get away without a single scratch.

"I...just...can't even-" said Alec wishing so hard that he was as eloquent as Jace or Magnus could be to find the right words for this moment, though he doubted that what he wanted to tell Magnus could be expressed in mere sentences. But he saw the warlock glance at him with the same unfathomable feelings, and with the reply _I know, Alec, me too_. And so, Alec settled for a simple "I love you", though it was anything but. It was more like a hundred "I love you"s mingled with thousands of "Stay with me forever" and as the warlock lost himself in Alec's dreamy blue eyes, he realized that this was the best kind of magic of all.

"Alec. Alec. Talk to me. Alec. Honey. Sugarplums. Sweetheart. Cutie pie. Baby." Finally, the warlock gave up and shook Alec. Nonplussed, the Shadowhunter merely slid across to the other end of the couch, all the while still staring into empty space. Magnus stared at his betrothed from under narrowed eyes. Alec, ever since this morning, had been acting weirdly. He had dipped his bread into orange juice, worn his sweaters inside out twice, and even locked Chairman Meow into a cabinet, who incidentally, had given him three scratches in retribution. Alec did not even flinch, but merely pushed the feline aside and dropped down onto the couch.

"Alec, what is it?" Magnus asked again, not expecting a reply. He didn't get one. Alec had turned faintly pale, and was rubbing along the edges of his sweaters, as he did when he got nervous. Sighing, he used his lanky self to loop around the Shadowhunter. "Alexander." He kissed Alec's collarbone peeking out behind the tatty wool. "Gideon." The crook of his neck. "Lightwood." The spot just behind his ear.

"Alec. Snap out of it. Or else," Magnus whispered into Alec's ear. No response. Huffing sulkily, the warlock sat up, then proceeded to send Alec into a tickling fit.

"Stop, stop no more, I'll tell you, I swear, stop -agh-" Alec writhed around on the sofa, as the warlock tortured him mercilessly with devilish fingers. He laughed till tears were leaking out from the corners of his eyes, and grabbed his sides, twisting to get away from Magnus. "I told you, Alec, there would be consequences," the warlock said grimly.

Alec sat up, gasping for breath, flushed and sides heaving. His breathing slowly returned to normal, and he seemed to remember what dreadful news he had to tell Magnus. An almost-panicky gaze came over him, and a spike of alarm shot through Magnus. Was it something really that bad?

The warlock covered Alec's palms with his hand, as Alec looked up at him. He took a wobbly breath.

"Magnus, if we are getting married, how am I-how am I going to tell my parents?"

The warlock arched an eyebrow.


End file.
